A parody of the cult Japanese TV program “Iron Chef” here is an excellent webcast where a live audience at the Exploratorium in San Francisco cheer on competitors in a fun science cook-off, where teachers compete for the title “Iron Science Teacher.”
The Exploratorium’s Iron Science Teacher competition showcases science teachers as they create classroom activities using batteries.
Using a variety of items found at home, the teachers make several different experiments involving batteries. The first experiment, created by two teachers is a “Conducto-saurus”. Using a battery, aluminum foil, Christmas tree bulbs and masking tape, the pair create what looks like a dinosaur. With two aluminum foil legs and a Christmas light tail, the teachers show how the bulb lights up when you touch the two legs together, closing the circuit.
They also demonstrate how, when you insert the legs of the experiment into water, there isn’t a connection. However, if you add salt to the water the bulb immediately lights up.
Other experiments include potato batteries, fruit batteries and how our bodies can conduct an electric current which registers on an ammeter in different situations. This video is a few years old, but it does a great job of showing some easy and inexpensive experiments that can be done with kids at home.
Please take a look at some of the fun and instructive experiments described in our posts: Experimenting with Batteries.
Related articles:
History Of Batteries: A Timeline
Rhubarb Flow Battery Shows Great Potential For Renewable Energy
How to Make an Electric Microcontroller Patch
How to Make Your Own Wearable Switch
